Page 11 of Discord and Cinder (Fire Witches of Salem #7)

DISCORD

W hy must women be so infuriating?

I buttoned the dark burgundy shirt Belira had acquired for me and slipped on the jacket. It had scarcely been a day since Cinder freed me from prison, and I had already subjected myself to yet another insolent woman.

Sadly, I had no other choice. To appear in Lucifer’s court in demon form would be an insult to our kind. To take Cinder in her present state of disarray would secure us both reservations in the tarpits for the rest of eternity.

The sound of the shower shutting off drew my attention away from the mirror and toward the bathroom. Cinder would be drying herself, preparing to don Belira’s dress. Temptation to step inside and take her had my cock hardening for the first time in centuries.

The witch was beautiful. Of that there was no doubt, but I had to remain in control of my desires. Until I discovered where I stood with Lucifer, I had to focus on the issues at stake. Freeing myself from Cinder’s blood bond came second only to securing my safety in Hell.

The bathroom door opened, and Cinder stepped out. The dress clung to her curves, emphasizing the roundness of her backside. The single sleeve hid the visible evidence of our bond, and she pulled her damp hair forward, attempting to rake a comb through the tangles.

“All right, Duke of Darkness. Start talking.” She clutched her hair halfway down and jerked the comb through the ends. “Why does Lucifer want to see us, and how can I find my parents?”

“One of the sentry dogs must have spread word of our arrival. The fact he had the gall to disobey the authority of a prince does not bode well.”

“Is it gall or is he just a moron?” She moved the comb higher in her hair, picking at an unruly knot. “Harpy-hounds aren’t the sharpest daggers in the collection, are they?”

“No, they are not.” I chuckled and held out my hand. “Allow me?” We’d never make it to the palace at the rate she was working.

She arched a brow, studying me for a moment before placing the comb in my palm and turning toward the mirror. “I don’t think demon conditioner is made for mortal hair.”

I lifted a lock and worked the comb through the ends. “Most mortals don’t come to Hell willingly, nor do their corporeal forms survive the transition.”

“We passed a bar full of humans on our way here.” She adjusted the top of her dress. “Or maybe not humans. They could’ve been witches or shifters, I suppose, but they didn’t appear to be writhing in torture.”

I laid the first lock of untangled hair over her shoulder and moved on to the next. “Trust me. They were demons. Only those of the highest levels can assume a human form, so they flaunt it to show their status.”

She watched my reflection intently. “I suppose old Satan will look like a man when we arrive?”

“He will, and I would advise you not to call him by that name.”

“Why not?”

“Lucifer has had many names over the eons, but that one was derived from a misinterpretation of the Christian Bible, and it’s only used in derogatory ways.”

She whistled. “Guess we shouldn’t insult the king on our first meeting.”

“I’m glad you understand.” I continued combing the knots from her hair.

“What about Hades? Is that acceptable?”

“You are about to meet the ruler of the Underworld, arguably the most powerful man in all the realms, and he hasn’t been known for his benevolence in thousands of years.

Do not assume yourself so familiar with our king as to call him by any name.

Speak only when spoken to. Refer to him only as sire or your majesty until he tells you otherwise. ”

She scoffed. “He’s not my king.”

“You are in his realm illegally.” My pupils constricted, the green of my irises billowing like smoke at her insolence. “Your rash decision to vanquish me has endangered both our souls, and I won’t allow you to throw away our chance at making it out intact by running your wicked mouth.”

A growl rumbled in my chest as I worked out the last knot. “I should have killed you the moment you summoned me.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yet here you stand, in your ex-girlfriend’s apartment, brushing my hair as if we were lovers. Where did you learn how to do that?”

“Isabel.” I slammed the comb onto the table beneath the mirror. “We were intimate. I won’t make that mistake again.”

She grinned and turned toward me. “Are you trying to convince me of that? Or yourself?”

If I were honest, I’d say both, but demons weren’t known for their truthfulness.

The bare skin on her shoulder appeared smooth, fair, and it beckoned me to caress it.

The bitter scent of myrrh shampoo did nothing to mask the sweet vanilla undertones of her pheromones, and the way her dress shimmered with her movement, drawing attention to her curves, had my dick hardening all over again.

I grabbed her left hand and shoved up her sleeve, revealing my mark on her arm. The moment I touched it, my temple tingled, reminding me how strongly we were connected. “Remove the blood bond.”

She tugged from my grasp and pulled the sleeve down. “Send my parents and me home, and I will.”

“If Lucifer hadn’t summoned us, I would have left you in your cell to rot until you agreed.”

“Yet here we are.” She spread her arms in a presenting motion. “We better not keep Luci waiting.”

This woman would be the end of me. I narrowed my eyes and strode to the door, opening it and gesturing for her to exit. “There are fates worse than death…to which Lucifer would be pleased to condemn us both.”

“And now we’re circling back to my questions.

What’s going on and why is it happening?

” She stepped into the hall and waited as I closed the door.

“If what I read is true, you’re the most powerful prince around.

Everyone should be cowering in your presence, doing exactly what you command.

It should be easy for you to demand the release of my parents and send us home. ”

Was she really so simple-minded? “My brothers and I were Lucifer’s most trusted friends. We commanded his army, advised him, and we were his closest confidants.”

“I take it ‘were’ is the key term here?”

I pressed the button to call the elevator and smoothed my jacket’s lapel. “Indeed. I have no doubt our imprisonment brought shame to the palace, and the seer showed me the unrest amongst Lucifer’s subjects when he lost his top three men. It has taken him centuries to right the balance.”

“Who did he replace you with?” The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside.

I followed and pressed the button for the ground floor. “I do not know. What happens inside the palace is shielded from prying eyes…now even from mine, it seems.”

“Why didn’t he set you and your brothers free? Isabel was just a witch, and he’s the King of Hell. If he’s the most powerful man in all the realms, couldn’t he have yanked you out and returned you to your posts?”

The doors opened, and I strode into the lobby, stopping a few feet from the exit. “Lucifer has never been one to stand between consequence and a fool.”

Her boot squeaked on the obsidian floor as she approached. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Isabel was a woman scorned, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of wrath on anyone.”

“Where are the shoes Belira gave you?” I eyed the ankle-high combat boots she wore.

She lifted her dress and rotated her ankle. “If we’re in as much danger as you say we are, I’m not about to face it in platform stilettos. I’d break a leg before we even made it to the palace if I wore those things.”

I wanted to argue her footwear could be taken as an insult, but I had a feeling shoes were the least of my worries with her. If only I had thought to purchase a silencing spell from the seer when I was there.

“Come,” I said instead and exited the building.

“You said I’m here illegally. What does that mean?” She hurried to catch up and walked by my side.

I glanced at her sideways before focusing on the palace in the distance, a sickening feeling growing stronger in my stomach with each step.

“Your soul is unclaimed. You’re here neither by Death’s hand nor by a demon’s bargain.

Unclaimed souls find their way to Hell for one of two reasons.

Either they wish to resurrect a claimed soul, or they intend to infiltrate and start a war. ”

“Well, I’m definitely not here to start a war.” She eyed the palace in the distance. “What usually happens to unclaimed souls when Lucifer discovers them?”

“If he’s feeling merciful, obliteration. Otherwise, an eternity of torture in the deepest circle of Hell.”

“Hold up.” She stopped and rested her hands on her hips. “So…what? You got me all dressed up as an offering? You’re planning to turn me over to save yourself?”

“If it were that simple, I would.” I continued walking. “Your blood bond has complicated the matter.”

“Because if I get obliterated…” She strode toward me.

“I do too.”

“So I’m not unclaimed, then.” She jerked up her sleeve. “This means you claimed me. I’m with you, so I’m not illegal.”

I stopped and clutched her hand, tugging the sleeve down. Several demons had gathered in the street to watch us pass, and a group crowded around a window in the café to our right. I straightened my spine and turned around to address them.

“As you were. This is none of your concern.” I tilted my head slightly, widening my stance when no one moved. The sourness in my stomach rose upward, solidifying in my chest and making my voice rumble. “As you were.”

They cut their gazes toward each other, mumbling amongst themselves as if confused. Anger sparked in my gut, the heat rolling outward, consuming me. I refused to tolerate their insolence.

Magic gathered in the core of my being, and my vision sharpened, my demonic form simmering just beneath the surface. If I’d had the time, I’d have torn a few limb from limb for their disobedience. Then, the rest would cower at my feet as they should.

Instead, I focused on their minds, sowing discord into their masses.

“You sorry sack of shedim shit!” A capras demon shoved an incubus before landing a punch on his jaw. “You seduced my wives.”

“I’d never touch anything that ugly.” The incubus spat blood and barreled into the capras, tackling him.

A goblin snickered, and a chasm demon whirled toward her with malice in her eyes. “Oh, you think it’s funny? I bet you thought those rumors you spread about me were funny too.”

The crowd’s mumbling turned into shouts. They shoved, punched, and kicked, wrestling each other and casting blame for things that never happened.

“What in Hecate’s name?” Cinder’s lips parted as she took in the disarray.

I sent one last pulse of magic into the crowd before clutching her hand and pulling her toward the palace.

“What was that about?” she asked. “Why did they suddenly turn on each other?”

“Because I made them. The sooner we can get inside, the better. It appears my authority in the realm ceased with my imprisonment. I must regain Lucifer’s favor if we wish to survive.”

She swallowed hard. “We. You said we because you claimed my soul, right?” She lifted her sleeved arm.

I gave my head a hard shake and spoke through clenched teeth. “Do not flaunt that mark. It doesn’t mean I’ve claimed you.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means you’ve claimed me . That I was, once again, bested by a witch. My folly forced me to abandon my post for over four centuries, and now you’ve brought me home empty-handed. My brothers are still imprisoned, and Hecate’s…”

“What about Hecate?”

“Walk faster. Lucifer has filleted people for far weaker infractions.” I tugged her along, using my power to alter the space between us and the palace, bending the distance so we crossed miles in seconds.

When I released my hold, my head spun. My body was no longer accustomed to existing, much less performing such magical feats.

Neither was Cinder’s, it seemed. She pitched forward, expelling the acid from her stomach onto the ground. “What the hell?”

She swayed on her feet and collapsed into my arms, her eyes rolling backward before her face went slack.